1. Field of the Invention
Aspects of the present invention relate to a niobium oxide-containing electrode and a lithium battery including the niobium oxide-containing electrode. More particularly, aspects of the present invention relate to a niobium oxide-containing electrode that has a high capacity and high-rate characteristics due to niobium oxide and a lithium battery including the niobium oxide-containing electrode.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, metallic lithium is used as an anode active material in lithium batteries. However, when metallic lithium is used, dendrites may be formed inside the batteries, which can lead to short-circuits or battery explosion. To prevent these problems, carbonaceous material-containing anode active materials have been used instead of metallic lithium. Therefore, various kinds of carbonaceous material-containing anode active materials have been developed.
Many electronic devices, such as phones, digital cameras, and notebook computers, are manufactured as portable, wireless devices. Accordingly, demands for light-weight, small, and high energy density secondary batteries used as operating power sources have increased. Specifically research on non-aqueous electrolytic lithium batteries including a lithium-containing metal oxide having a voltage of 4V as a cathode active material and an anode active material capable of adsorbing or releasing lithium is being conducted to obtain a high voltage and high energy density battery.
However, no conventional active material has satisfied all requirements for use in lithium batteries. For example, an inexpensive and stable active material may have low conductivity, low capacity, and low energy density; and a highly conductive active material may have a complicated and expensive preparation process.
Therefore, disadvantages of respective active materials should be addressed.
For example, Li4Ti5O12 is inexpensive and stable and is easily prepared. However, Li4Ti5O12 has low conductivity, and thus, has low initial efficiency and low capacity and energy density per volume. To address this problem, Li4Ti5O12 can be formed into nano-sized particles or in a form of a semi-conductive carbon complex, or Li+ or Ti4+ can be substituted with an metallic ion having a high oxidation number, such as V5+, Mn4+, Fe3+, Ni2+, Cr3+ or Mg2+.
However, there is still a desire to develop an active material having sufficient conductivity and an electrode including the active material.